Means for finishing welded joints



April 10, 1945.

o. w. WINTER MEANS FOR FINISHING WELDED JOINTS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 3, 1941 \NVENIOR owowwmm ATORNEYS April 10, 1945. 0 w W|NTER 2,373,440

' MEANS FOR FINISHING WELDED JOINTS Filed Dec. -3, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 10, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MEANS FOR FINISHINGTWELDED Jonv'rs Otto w. Winter, Grand Island, N. Y., assignor to 'ColumbusMcKinnon-Ghain Corporation, Tona- -wanda,'N. Y., a corporation of New York ApplicationDecemher a, 1941, Serial No. 421,4 1 (Cl. 59-30) 1 Claim.

As is well known to those skilled in the art, in the Welding of chain links, the ends adjacent the joint are heated by electricity and when the metal in such ends reaches a welding temperature the ends are .forced together .by. pressure produced at each end of the link. .As the weldis completed there is a protuberance around the joint formed by the exuded metal and it is the practice to squeezethisfin or protuberance downwardly from the outside so as to produce aswell in the stock opposite :the joint on theinside of the link. I find, however, that the condition of the metal at the joint is very much improved by swaging or forging the weld by repeated hammer ing while still hot.

The principal object of my invention has been therefore to provide a swaging device 'for compacting forging the metalLf-rom opposite sides .of the link after the weld is completed.

Another object has been .to provide a device of .the nature which may be hydraulically operated.

Furthermore, my device is so designed that the swaging dies. may be accurateh adjusted so as to produce the desired formation at the joint of the link.

Moreover, my invention contemplates the use of a shearing tool forremoving the tab remaining at the joint as a result of the swaging operation.

The above objects and advantages have been accomplished by the device shown in the accompanying drawingacf which:

Fig. 1 is a front face view of a welding machine embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary, sectional elevation taken on line II-II of Fig. v1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary view of the swaging anvils in their operating positions;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary view of the shearing mechanism;

Fig.5 is a sectional view of the same taken on line VV of Fig. 4; i

Fig. 6 is an enlarged, perspective view showing the shearing tool of my-device; and,

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary, sectional, plan view taken on line VII-VILof Fig. .1.

The base of the device to which my invention is applied is represented :at |n.- This base isiormed at its ends with upstanding flange members H and I2 to which the-swage bracket l3 of my device is secured. This swage bracket is supported by the flange members and is insulated therefrom by insulation strips 14.

The swage bracket supports theswage guide l5 which is secured to the-race of the bracket by means of bolts it which pass through slots '20 fcrmedin the flanges 21 of theguide. The guide supports a toggle link-block 2 2 in slidable manner and the guide is preferably set into a slot 27 formed in the face of the bracket. At each side of the swage guide, the swagebracket is formed with an adjusting bracket23 which has an offset end 24 overhanging a flange portion 25 formed on the swage guide. An adjusting bolt 26 passes operated by suitable fluid under pressure and provided with ajpiston rod 33. This piston rod is connected to the toggle, block by means of a connectingscrew 34 whereby reciprocation of the block is brought, about by fluid supplied to the cylinder.

The swage guide is provided with two interspaced and downwardly extending arms 35 to the lower end of which are pivotally secured the swage arms 36 and'31. Eaohof these swage arms is mounted upon a swage: arm bolt 40 which is supported by the arms35 of the guide. Each swage arm has an upper leg! and a lower leg 42. The upper leg of each of the swage arms is pivotally attached to the free end of a toggle link 43, the upper ends of such links being secured to the toggle link block 22 by means of .pivot pins '44. The links 43 are disposed within a slot 45 formed centrally of the block. Thelower legs 42 of the swage arms are each'provided with an anvil 46, each formed on its-inner: face with a curvedshaped surface so proportioned as to bring the sides and top surfaces of the link 5| I to substantially the body'diameterof the link'when finished. The lower portions ofthe curved surfaces 50 provide for the metal which is swaged downwardly and thus form it into an inner swell at the point in the joint whichiaces theyinterior of the link. The adjacent flat'surfaces 5,2 of the anvils preferablydo not contact so that thefull impactive action of the anvils will be directed onto the heated metal. An upwardlyfextending tab 53 is thereby formed on'the linkbetween the faces 52 of the anvil which is subsequently removed by a thus closing up the joint and completing the weld after the application of heat. Heat is applied in machines of this type by electricity throughthe medium of electrodes 65 which are carried by electrode holders G6 and moved by means of an electrode cylinder I3I in sequence withthe other i portions of the device to contact the ends of the link adjacent the joint, whereby-a strong current of electricity may be passed therethrough. These electrodes together with their mountings do not form a part of this application and are, therefore, not shown and described in detail.

As above pointed out, after the swaging of the joint is completed following the welding thereof, a tab 53 extending longitudinally of the link. remains on the outer surface of the link. In order to remove this tab and toprovide a smoother;- terior surface on the finished link, I provide a shearing tool 10. Thetool is provided with a cutting edge H which, as shown in Fig. 6, is curved so as to substantially fit the exterior surface of the finished link and to shear oif the tab at a radius substantially equal to and flush with the exterior surface of the stock surrounding the same. 7

The shearing tool is carried bya-tool holder I2 which is secured to the outer end of a shear bar- '13. The tool holder is secured to the bar by means of bolts 14 which pass through slots I5 formed in the holder. The holder is provided with a recess I6 which engages with a vertically arranged ridge 80 formed on the end ofthe bar whereby if is guided in its vertical movement. An adjusting plate 8! is secured to the upper edge of the shear bar and overhangs the recess in which the holder is mounted. a An adjusting screw 82 is carried by this plate. The screw is screwthreaded through the plate and extends downinto contact with the upper surface of the holder. A lock screw 83 is also provided which passes freelythrough the adjusting plate and is screwthreaded into the holder. A nut 84 is carried by the lock screw whereby thescrew may be raised and lowered so as to raise and lower the holder. The adjusting screw 82 may be used only to lower the holder to effect sensitive adjustment and to holdit in its adjusted position, a lock nut 85 being provided to set the adjusting screw in its final adjustment. The shear bar '13 isslidably mounted in guides 90' supported by the base of the machine. The shear bar is provided at its rear end with an upstanding arm 9| to which the piston rod 92 of the hydraulic cylinder 93 is connected by means of a connector 94. The cylinder 93 is secured to theflange member I2 carried by the base and is supplied with fluid under run IM. This shear switch is carried by the swage bracket I3 and is closed through the medium of the stud I02 when the shear tool has reached the forward limit f its movement. Another control switch I05 is also carried by the swage bracket I3 and its arm N16 is engaged by a trip dog H0 on the backward movement of the shear bar. This trip dog is carried bya dogholder l I I which is secured to, the side face ofthearm SI of the shear bar. The trip dog is held normally in the position shown in Fig. 1 by means of a helical -spring II2. I shear bar the inclined face of the trip dog will On the forward movement of the ride under the arm I06 against the tension of the fj pring H2 without operating the switch. As just above described, however, the switch arm I06 will be operated by the trip dog on its reverse movement.

operated valves through the medium of suitable switches. Since the cylinders, solenoid valves and switches are standard articles of manufacture, they are not shown or described in detail. It should be noted, however, that the swage cylinder' 32 is operated through suitable means in intermittent manner so that a rapid swaging or hammering action is brought about upon the heated joint of the link during the operation of the swaging anvils.- The intermittent operation of the'swage arms may be brought about by any suitable relay timing device such as, for instance, the time relay delay. mechanism manufactured by the General Electric Company.-

In Fig. 1, I have shown in diagrammatic manner the relays controlled by the shear switch I04 and :control switch IE5, together with a hydraulic control valve and suitable electric circuits for connecting these various parts. In this figure a time delay relay is indicated at H5. A solenoid operated valve indicated at H6 controls the supply of fluid to the cylinder 93 over conduits I20 and I2I; Conduit I20 is connected to the piston rod endof the cylinder 93, and conduit I2l is connected with the head end thereof. This valve, which is retained in normal position by spring means,- is'provided with n inlet conduit I22 which-is connected to a suitable source of supply or'a pump (not shown)- and a conduit I23 is also provided for conducting-fluid from the cylinder back to the reservoir'lnot shown). I alsd show in diagram a limit switch I24 which is actuated by the upset bars 52 when said bars are withdrawnbackwardly to theplimit of their re-.

turn stroke. Leads I25-I25'and I26-I26 carry electricity fromasuitable source of supply.

In the operation of my device through the medium of he apparatus and'circuitsdiagrammatically shown in Fig. l ,'-current is supplied to-the time delay relay H5 over leads I30 from a suitable source of current and controlled by another part of the-welding machine operated in sequence with-the swaging dies; but forming no part of this invention.- When the relay H5 is energized, the operating coil of relay CR8 is also energized. When'the operating coil of CR8 is energized it energizes the spring loaded hydraulic solenoid valve I I6 and operates the valve to supply fluid under pressure to the head end of the shear cylinder-93. When'fluid issupplied to this end of the'cylinder, the piston rod 92 is moved forwardly thu operating the shearing mechanism. As the rod-moves forwardly the-end of the stud IIl2I5engages -the arm-W310i the shear switch I04 and closes the normally open contacts of this 'hydraulic valve to its normal position, in which position fluid under pressure is admitted to and maintained in the rod end of the cylinder, thus returning the shear cylinder piston rod 92 to its inoperative position where it is maintained by the fluid pressure. In order to prevent the shearing mechanism from being operated more than once during each cycle, a holding contact CRIIB is provided on relay CRI I. As the pistonrod 92 of shear cylinder 93 moves backwardly, the dog I 10 will engage a trip arm I06 of switch I thus serving to close the normally open contacts of this switch. The closing of the contacts of switch [05 causes relays CR6 and CRBA to be energized. These relays are provided with suitable contacts (not shown) andthey control the operation of electrode holders 66 and the upset bars 62. These relays are not further described in detail since they do not form a part of this invention. However, holding contacts CRGB are provided which maintain the relays CR6 and CRBA energized throughout their period of operation. The limit switch I24 is actuated by the upset rods 62 when they are returned by their actuating cylinders 64. This switch I24 is in series with the holding contact GR! IE of the relay CE! I so that when it is p d y the return of the upset bars, it will cause the de-energization of the relay CR1 l.

The above shearing operations are carried out after the swaging operation is completed, and

' while the link is still being held between the upset bars. The shearing tool is carried forwardover the link and in engagement with the tab 53, whereby the tab is smoothly sheared to substantially the exterior contour of the link.

I It will be obvious from the foregoing that when I use the term swaging, I do not mean simply a squeezing action upon the metal of the joint,

but a rapid hammering or forging action which, as heretofore pointed out, decidedly improves the texture of the material of the joint.

Obviously, some modifications of the details herein shown and described may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention or the scope of the appended claim, and I do not, therefore, wish to be limited to the exact embodiment herein shown and described, the form shown being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

The combination with a chain welding machine wherein each link is formed at the welded joint with an enlargement, of means for swaging said enlargement in the pre-welded joint to form an inner swell, said means comprising two oppositely arranged swaging anvils, means for mounting said anvils for producing a rapid impactive action simultaneously upo the opposite sides of the joint, fluid actuated means for intermittently operating said anvils at a velocity sufiicient to provide a hammering action upon the metal at the welded joint and thereby form a tab on the out-- side of the link, a slidably mounted shear tool having a concave cutting edge engageable with the exterior surface of the link to shear the said tab therefrom, and hydraulic means for rapidly operating said shear tool.

OTTO W. WINTER. 

